J. Am. Chem. Soc. 130, 15242–15243 (2008)

A nanoparticle with antibody-like binding activity has been created by a group of researchers led by Kenneth Shea of the University of California, Irvine. Their 'plastic antibody' attaches to a specific biological molecule — the honeybee toxin, melittin, which is composed of 26 amino acids.

The authors took a selection of acrylamide monomers containing chemical groups that bind to different portions of melittin, and linked these into a polymer using the target as a template. Crosslinking the monomers generated particles 30–40 nanometres in diameter, making the fruits of their labour comparable in size as well as binding activity to a real antibody. Molecules such as this might one day be injected into the blood, adding new sensors or antidotes to the immune system's armoury.